My first hydros were lever operated and the lever would stay put so you didn't have to hold on to it. When everything started going to pedals I was very skeptical. I've been running pedals for a few years now. You simply don't think about it. You want to go faster, just push a little more. You want to stop, just lift your foot. Bumps, no problem, they have a shock absorber device that takes all the bounce out of it. You would just have to run one a while.
Most Hydro tractors have some sort of cruise control, whether it's a lever as I described above or a "latch" mechanism that holds the pedal in whatever spot you choose. If you are doing mundane work like brush cutting a big pasture it's useable. Anything less than that, you tend to just use the pedal.